I was absolutely blown away by this segment. You see "small-town" and "Appalachia" and "gay" in any news segment, you automatically brace yourself for the worst - and here comes Stephen with the good people of Vicco to blow all those stereotypes out of the water!

I have to admit, when that police chief was talking about his years of friendship with the mayor? I totally teared up. People looking beyond the way they are TOLD things are, and just relating to each other as people. That's what it's all about.

This is wonderful!!!!!!

Portervile California 's Mayor Virginia Gurrola issued the City's first-ever LGBT Pride Month Proclamation in June this year. But the Council immediately objected and conducted a series of 3 disturbing public hearings attended by Westboro Baptist associates, local Nazi apologists, and no end of bible waving religious zealots. People any politician in America would run from being associated with.

But not in Porterville: In the end, Council rescinded the the Pride Month Proclamation and changed the rules so the Mayor cannot issue Proclamations any more.

Please find us on facebook @Porterville Equality and Fairness for All, while we try to reach the level of understanding level of Vicco KY.

Press and bloggers invited too...

Here is the facebook link to reach out and learn about the issues in Porterville, it is actually worse than I described: https://www.facebook.com/PortervilleEqua…

Willamette Week has a story about a fellow in Eastern Oregon collecting petitions to overturn Measure 36, which banned gay marriage in the state.

Kind of getting a kick out of the fact that I watched it -- and am writing this -- while standing in line for tickets for "The Daily Show."

people in kentucky feel about smoking in the same way they feel about guns: you will only take the cigarette from their cold, dead hands.

Watching this piece about Vicco, KY is enough to make you believe in God. Then watching the bile coming out of Russia makes you realize there is no benevolent sky daddy after all.

Wow! This made me cry. Thanks for sharing.

Even Real 'Merka Gets Better. I want to hug the town of Vicco...except for that loathsome pastor, that is.

Anybody see "Big Eden"? I flashed on that movie in the middle of this. It's set in a small town that, contrary to its hardscrabble, salt-of-the-earth status, is actually wonderfully supportive of its gay citizens. Corny, but in that heart-swelling way. I never thought I'd see a real-life equivalent. I am very moved.

Hulu works in the US only. Could someone give me and other international Sloggers the cliff notes of what is being conveyed?

@13: I'm seeing a blocked site as well so it's not just US-only. I've garnered enough idea of what it was all about just by the comments so far - small town is friends with gay mayor, throwing stereotypes of the South and of gays out the window (except the pastor of the town, who's a gay stereotype or something)

It's just too bad the gays have been pushing themselves on that poor pastor. It would be just too easy to "blame the victim" in this case, for being so irrestible, but lets not do that Sloggers.
Life is probably already hard enough for a guy on flammable oxygen in a town where everyone is constantly smoking!

My grinchy heart has grown 3 sizes this day.